The sixth Open "Terre degli Elimi" took place from 28. July – 4. August 2015 in Erice, in the western part of Sicily. The setting of the town is inspiring and relaxing. During the highest heat of the summer, Erice, perched on a hill, provides a welcome cool, while inviting beaches are minutes away down the valley, all surrounded by breathtaking scenery.
The old part of Erice (Photo: Wikipedia)
The Cathedral
San Vito Beach
Three tournaments, Master ( > 1800) B (< 2000) and C (< 1500) attracted 116 players. In the Masters 13 titled players took part, five of them were grandmasters.
The Organiser Alessandro Monaco was content: „Judging from players’ expressions, it was definitely a success, both from technical point of view and by the number and quality of Italian and international participants.”
The group photo with the participants taken at the Piazza Umberto I
(and with the organiser Monaco sitting in front) indicate the friendly
atmosphere of the tournament.
The Masters was won by Russian IM Sergei Matsenko with 7.5/9. Places two and three went to GM Imre Hera from Hungary and GM Salvador Alonso from Argentina who both scored 6.5/9. Place four (with the same score) went to the Spanish women’s champion WGM Sabrina Vega Gutierrez.
IM Sergei Matsenko with the trophy.
GM Imre Hera
GM Salvador Alonso
WGM Sabrina Vega Gutierrez
Then followed a group of seven players with 6.0/9. The two best Italian players were part of this group: GM Danyyil Dvirnyy and FM Gabriele Franchini Modena.
GM Danyyil Dvirnyy
FM Gabriele Franchini Modena
Michel Bifulco from Palermo
Hungarian GM Denes Boros won the beauty prize
The "Francesco Monaco" award goes to the best U-20 player and is dedicated to the memory of the organiser’s father. This year it went to the Russian Danii Nedostrup.
Danii Nedostrup
The women’s prize went to WIM Aranaz Amalia Murillo from Spain.
The Belgian Tim Vandenbroucke won the B-Open with 7.0/9. Simon Van Poucke who is also from Belgium was second with the same score. Bronze went to Antonino Lo Piccolo from Sicily – he scored 6.0/9.
Tim Vandenbroucke
Antonino Lo Piccolo
The young Sicilian, Andrea D'Arpa, won the C-Open with 6.0/7.
